Supernatural Fandom – The Documentary

As many people (cast, crew and fans) say in the film, the conventions are an extension of the show. They are a manifestation of the fanbase and therefore a visible measurement of the popularity beyond TV ratings. – Mitch Kosterman

Supernatural Fandom – The Documentary

During the Salute to Supernatural Convention in Vancouver in August 2014 I was Interview by Mitch Kosterman. Mitch has been working hard gathering hours and hours of footage from fans at Supernatural Conventions for his documentary on the Supernatural Fandom. I followed up with some questions back to Mitch about the documentary, where it can be seen and when, plus if any cast members will be having their say about the fandom

Lucy: You are creating a documentary on the Supernatural Fandom; what initially interested you about this Fandom and made you decide to take on this task?

Mitch: My brother is Clif Kosterman, Bodyguard for J and J. It was his idea. He tried shooting it himself and interviewing people but it was not working to his satisfaction so, he asked me to get involved.

Lucy: How long have you been working on this documentary and can you give us any idea of a release date yet?

Mitch: Clif started shooting in 2012. I came on-board in 2013 and hired Host Cedar Meneghello and DOP Curt Hunter. It is not even edited to a rough draft so…. maybe see it early 2016? That is just a guess. We will see it when it is ready.

Lucy: You have been conducting fan interviews for the documentary, where did you carry out these fan interviews?

Mitch: Vancouver, Las Vegas and Dallas.

Lucy: What was your first impression of a Supernatural Convention?

Mitch: Less crazy than I thought. Normal people having a lot of fun. Not much different from a big Superbowl party. Makes total sense to me. I now believe Disneyland is just a convention with a very large budget.

Salute to Supernatural Convention (Credit Mitch Kosterman)

Lucy: Have your views about the Supernatural Fandom altered since talking to so many of the fans and getting their perspective?

Mitch: Very much so. I understand why people go. As many people (cast, crew and fans) say in the film, the conventions are an extension of the show. They are a manifestation of the fanbase and therefore a visible measurement of the popularity beyond TV ratings.

Lucy: Are there any fan interviews that really stood out or affected you in anyway that you can tell us about that?

Mitch: People came from far away: Australia, Japan, China, Germany, England, New Zealand, Brazil, etc. These were interesting. Also, many people had tales of how the show had helped them through a tough time in their lives; even kept them alive or kept their family together. Fandom and family are convergent themes.

Lucy: Will we get to see any interviews from the cast or crew of Supernatural in the documentary?

Mitch: Yes. Both. You will not be disappointed.

Lucy: What do you think people that are not part of a Fandom will make of the Supernatural fans?

Mitch: If they watch the movie, they will make the same realizations we all make; driving home the point that you don’t really know about something until you actually take the time to look. They will realize, it is just a bunch of normal people celebrating, and enhancing the joy of, a common interest. Like in every group of people, there are particular interesting individuals and circumstances.

Two Sharks Entertainment – The company behind the documentary (Credit Mitch Kosterman)

Lucy: In what format will the documentary be made available and will it be available worldwide?

Mitch: It will be available on a DVD (PAL and NTSC) with valued-added packaging making it a collector item. It may also air on TV but that is less likely. I can promise it will be available world-wide. We have no plans to go to film festivals or offer it online. You will see bits of it on WB affiliates as the CW Network is using it to promote conventions in cities across North America; starting with San Fran next week

Lucy: Is there a chance for any fans that haven’t yet been interviewed, but feel they have an exceptional story to tell, to get involved with the documentary? How would they go about doing this?

Mitch: It is not too late. Send me high quality video with good sound recording and I will try to use it, if it fits. We are not looking for stories about how long you have been watching the show or how much you like the show or who your favorite character is, stuff like that. What we are looking for are, unique and moving stories of how the show played a role in your personal life.

Huge thanks to Mitch Kosterman for answering my questions.

To keep up to date with the project follow Mitch on Twitter @MitchKosterman

I would have loved to been involved especially since I was in Vancouver and saw Mitch but never got interviewed. It would have been nice to get a spot since I had brought fan created books for both Genevieve and Danneel and presented them to the guys during my photo op with them and Mitch was standing right there with Clif.